Pop Smart - Idea Capital: Grants for Atlanta artists

Calling all starving artists: Idea Capital wants to help you. Due to the lack of funding from government and private organizations, Idea Capital (a work-in-progress movement started by several local art patrons) will grant an Atlanta artist a $500 grant to “encourage an experimental and investigative art project.” All genres are invited to apply: literary, visual, dance, performance, music, critical writing, film, video and new media.

This isn’t the only such grass-roots grant for artists. A similar organization, Cadre Art, was started by photographer Carla Williams in California. Artists all over the country can donate to and apply for various grants at Cadre to help foster art projects.

But back to Idea Capital. Its purpose is simple, according to its press release:

We seek to foster a new tone of experimentation and support in the Atlanta art world, as well as encourage a larger framework of support ... The grant is to encourage experimentation and investigation with funds designed to give artists permission to pursue new ideas. We want to foster our community and support innovative work...We are interested in new ideas, new artists and supporting emerging and established artists.

Any artists 18 and older in the metropolitan Atlanta area are encouraged to apply. Submissions must be postmarked Fri., May 9, 2008 and the winner will be notified June 2.

Continue to the next page for submission guidelines.